MELBOURNE has discussed playing Jack Watts on St Kilda's champion centre half forward Nick Riewoldt as part of the 21-year-old's continuing education process.

While Neeld would not confirm that he would line up the Demons' 2008 No.1 draft pick on the Saints' 2000 No.1 draft pick, he admitted he was open to the possibility.

"That would be an interesting match-up wouldn't it?" said Neeld. "He'd learn a fair bit…see how we go."

Watts has been playing off a wing for most of the season, providing some drive around the stoppages. He has drifted forward occasionally and kicked three goals for the season.

While his form has been reasonable, he was recruited as a power forward and still shapes as a key position prospect.

With key forward Mitch Clark missing from the side because of concussion, Watts looked to be an obvious candidate to step inside 50 and fill the hole.

When asked earlier in the press conference whether this would be the case, Neeld - happy to keep everyone guessing - said Watts would spend some time in the midfield and some time forward.

"He is on a fast learning curve Jack, so we will continue with that [education] this week," said Neeld.

Meanwhile Liam Jurrah, the other missing component from the Demons' forward line, continues to progress slowly as he aims to return via the VFL next week.
 
Jurrah was expected to line up for the Casey Scorpions on Sunday but admitted to Neeld after the club's main training session on Wednesday that he was not quite ready to go.
 
"He wants to play but that was only his second main session and it was a light one and he said 'I'm a bit puffed Mark and I don't know if I'm ready to go yet. Do you mind if I have another week of training?'" said Neeld.
 
"There is no use going out there when you are not feeling as though you have done enough work. The risk of injury is then increased. You can call it a conservative approach or you can call it a smart approach."
 
Neeld said Jurrah needed to build his endurance but refused to concede the player was a long way from returning to the senior team.

"We'll see how he goes in the VFL. He's fairly talented, he might come out and lay a few tackles and kick a few goals and I might get excited and put him back in," said Neeld. "We'll just wait and see."
 
On the positive front, the Demons will be strengthened on Saturday night by the return of Colin Sylvia, who missed the opening four rounds with a back injury and then served a club imposed suspension for a pre-season indiscretion.
 
They also have co-captain Jack Grimes returning from a one-week suspension for rough conduct.

Neeld said he had discussed the tackling technique that led to the suspension with Grimes but did not elaborate. His main concern is getting the unlucky defender to string some games together and provide some much needed rebound from the backline. .

"His short career has been littered with too many games missed through injury," said Neeld.

In his fifth season, Grimes has never played more than 14 games in a year.